Just when you think you've seen every possible permutation of
Bram Stoker's Dracula, along comes an
exciting and elegant version to reinvent the story. Such is the power of Stanton Wood's Nosferatu: The Morning of My Death. This beautiful and haunting
version adapted from F.W. Murnau's 1922 film, Nosferatu, and Bram Stoker's Dracula,
is a mix of drama and storytelling, in which the actors are the center of
attention and use all their skills to draw the audience into their tale.

Written to be the second half of a full-length version of the
play, Nosferatu begins with the Count's
(Matt W. Cody) journey to England
from Transylvania, leaving behind the shattered Harker (Paul Daily), while pursuing Harker's
wife, Mina (Jenna Kalinowski). As
the Count brings death to those around Mina, Harker must struggle to return to England
and save her.

While Nosferatu gets top billing, this is Mina's story. She
serves as the primary narrator of the tale and all the action centers around her
attraction to and attraction of the vampire. Kalinowski is marvelous in the
role. Her mix of terror, revulsion, and fascination create a wonderfully
complex Mina; it's easy to believe that she might just join the vampire at the
end of the play, regardless of how the story is supposed to go. The rest of the
cast are equally strong in their roles. Of particular note are Danny Ashkenasi, whose Renfield is both
grotesque and tragic, and David Miceli,
as Dr. Westenra, the stubborn man of science whose refusal to believe in the
possibility of something supernatural dooms his wife Lucy (Emily Hartford) and nearly dooms Mina as well.

What makes this an especially moving production is director Edward Elefterion's embrace of
simplicity and style. There are minimal sets, moody lighting full of shadow,
simple costumes that don't indicate a particular period, few props, and most
intriguing, the cast's creation of subtle sound effects to add depth to the
various scenes. The soft creaking noises used during the scenes describing the
Channel crossing and the soft laughter and babbling of the asylum are
especially good. Adding to the mood is the way Cody's Nosferatu is presented – always
caressed by shadow and, when interacting with Mina, hidden behind her, as
though he were in her mind more so than a physical presence. Make-up designer Courtney Daily has done a splendid job
of keeping Murnau's vision of the creature intact.

Stanton Wood has created an excellent adaptation of the
Dracula legend which has been brought to life by Elefterion and the exceptional
cast. This reviewer can't wait to see the full-length version.